Monthly Archives: March 2012

I’m trying to drum us some reviews for The Weeping Empress. Now, don’t get me wrong. I am more than thrilled with the ones I’ve recieved so far. Check these out:

5/5* “I really liked this book and really liked the characters. Chiyo, Muhjan and Senka have such chemistry. They kept me coming back for more.” Iris – Amazon

5/5* “Forsythe creates a new and strange world, rich and complex in both it’s characters and history. It calls to mind those tantalizing and complete worlds created by C.S Lewis and Tolkien. As with a C.S. Lewis novel, Forsythe transports us into this alternate universe from a real and modern timescape, giving the reader just the right amount of believability to step into the reluctant heroine’s shoes. Though Chiyo finds herself in what, to her, is a nightmare, the escapist in all of us, will find her story intriguing and irresistible. A fabulous read!” Heather – Amazon

5/5* “A very well written and engaging book that is impossible to put down. It’s the story of a woman’s survival in adverse conditions, and the price of that survival. The characters are well developed and interesting. The story moves fast, and the twists and turns are surprising. It has a little bit of everything – the development of friendship, love, violence, betrayal, and loyalty, and the endurance of the human spirit. I’d recommend this book to anyone.” Karen – Amazon

“What? A woman, seemingly happy in her modern day life as a mother and a wife suddenly awakes to find herself transported back in time, to a place unfamiliar where emperors ruled in castles, where one defended with swords and people were looking for a savior. Not a book I would typically read nor want to pick up, however it was sitting in my nook as a free download and I needed something to read, so I went for it. I was pleasantly surprised by how addicted to the book I became. The writing was crisp and the characters engaging. Toss in battles, heartache, triumph, loss, strength, a bit of mystery and you have ‘The Weeping Empress’. Overall a good read, I would actually give it 3.5 stars!” – Diana, Goodreads

5/5* “The Weeping Empress is a hard hitting, manga-like epic fantasy. What it lacks in warm-fuzzies it makes up in determined action. The main characters come across as sharp and vivid, and the ending is truly chilling.”- googlebooks

5/5* “This is a worthy read. From the very first page you, like the main character, are thrown into the action, keeping you interested in what happens next. The characters are relatable, despite the fictional setting, and the ending leaves you wanting more. Anyone who likes a strong female lead, untenable situations and a little titillation will love this book. I know I did and will definitely read another one of Forsythe’s books.” Barnes & Noble

Plus, two people have given it 5* on Lulu without leaving reviews and one person gave it a 4* on Goodreads without a review.

Not bad right? It makes you want to run out and read it right? The problem isn’t the quality of the reviews. How could it be. I’m tickled pick with the response so far. The problem is that there aren’t enough of them. I need more, MORE, MORE! <Insert Mwuhaa-ha-ha style laughter here> Seriously I need more readers. For this reason I have made it free for download at Goodreads, or you could read it here. There is a reader widget on the The Weeping Empress page.

I know the market is flooded with free ebooks. I swear sometimes I feel like swatting them away like flies, and mine is just one more in the swarm. But look up. Look at those fab reviews (and I didn’t cherry pick them, thats all of them). This isn’t a thrown together saga of sappy teen romance designed to take advantage of the urban/paranormal fantasy lovers. This is a real story worth your time, even if I am saying so myself. Again, scrollup.

So follow this link: The Weeping Empress is FREE, hit the download button, make a quick cup of tea (or sake if past 4:00), and settle down for the ride. Then go back to this link (its the same, don’t bother following it yet), and write the review you think it deserves. Alternatively this link (Amazon) and/or this link (B&N), and/or this link (google books), or any other one really. So what are you waiting for, hop to it. 🙂

If you are a book blogger and want a physical copy leave comment or hit the email button in the upper right corner (it’s the orange envelope) and shoot me a quick request.

Description from Amazon:
“This Hugo and Nebula Award winner tells the sweeping tale of a desert planet called Arrakis, the focus of an intricate power struggle in a byzantine interstellar empire. Arrakis is the sole source of Melange, the “spice of spices”. Melange is necessary for interstellar travel and also grants psychic powers and longevity, so whoever controls it wields great influence.

The troubles begin when stewardship of Arrakis is transferred by the Emperor from the Harkonnen Noble House to House Atreides. The Harkonnens don’t want to give up their privilege, though, and through sabotage and treachery they cast young Duke Paul Atreides out into the planet’s harsh environment to die. There he falls in with the Fremen, a tribe of desert dwellers who become the basis of the army with which he will reclaim what’s rightfully his. Paul Atreides, though, is far more than just a usurped duke. He might be the end product of a very long-term genetic experiment designed to breed a superhuman–he might be a messiah. His struggle is at the centre of a nexus of powerful people and events, and the repercussions will be felt throughout the Imperium.”

Dune was initially published in 1965. I wasn’t kidding when I said it was an oldie, but it is also a real sci-fi classic. Every fan of science fiction should read it. It started it all. There would be no fame for the likes of Gibson, Stephenson or Scott-Card without the path blazing prose of Herbert. Now, don’t get me wrong, it can be difficult to fall into pace with Dune. I know this puts some people off. A good bit of the book is written in dreamscape, and until you get comfortable switching between dream dialogue and ‘reality’ it can be hard to follow. It is absolutely worth it though. The characters are deep and complex. The landscapes are vivid and imaginable. Even the the psychic aliens and space travel don’t seem so unbelievable in Dune. Read it. Read it now.

Wow, what can I say I love Goodreads, and I regularly check the giveaways for interesting new reads. I’d never won anything though. Then, BAM!, this week I won three books-or I have been notified of having won three books. Nothing is real until it lands in my mailbox, or falls through the mail-slot rather.

What I particularly love about this small cluster of winnings is the variety. They have absolutely nothing in common. Combustible Sinners, as I mentioned a few days ago, is seven interconnected stories about the intersection of faith and culture in an evangelical Christian, Mexican-American community (right up my alley). My undergraduate was in Anthropology and Comparative religion. This is obviously a subject I would be interested in .

The Whipping Club is about an interfaith Irish couple fighting to rescue their adopted son from an abusive institution. I’ll have to save this one for a really nice day, as it promises to be a tearjerker. Serious subjects are best addressed under the balmy sun.

Love and Fuck poems is best described by its own description: “Sexually repressed, separated Greek girl on a rampage. There’s no love here, just fucks. But is she fucking him or fucking herself? Love and Fuck poems. A 52 page story told through poetry. No fluff, no birds and trees, just honest, raw, poetry.” My interest is certainly piqued.